An ex player here, or rather one who hasn't played since last season. Played in every position at one point or another (The joys of playing for a small club).

Took up running when I had to have an operation on my shoulder and couldn't play. Running never stopped me playing, Rugby has regularly stopped me running!

And yes, when it first went it was bleeding painful and I collapsed. Never felt a muscle 'Pop' before, weird. I was close to the top of Pen-Y-Pass and didn't intend going any further. I did though, stupid boy. It was a wonderful colour the following day, only ever seen that from massive impacts before.

Seeing someone about it, and only hearing what you want to hear, ignoring the rest, is pointless, again a lesson I have often learnt, and just as often forgotten......

Anyway, back to you. So what's the heart rate like now? Very jealous of the trip to London and all the goodies. The opportunity to get training, nutrition, physiology advice from professionals is for us at our level a dream come true.

Oh yes, the joys of playing for a small club. I think the only shirts I haven't worn before is 4,5,8 or 9.
The weekend before my first ever marathon I got the call off our captain to bring my kit as we might be short. I was hoping to be just be stuck out on the wing and not get to involved. I ended up having to play at fly-half. Not what I really wanted 8 days before my first race.

Chimney - wow, every position! I've played everywhere in the backs and once at lock (they were truly desperate) but never ever entered into the dark realm of the front row! Respect!

Ha ha I'm sure you're not the only person here to have ignored doctor's orders. Not sure I would have ignored them on that occasion though. Sounds damn painful. How the hell did you manage to carry on?

Do I take it you are from the land of Wales?

Heart rate is ok now thanks but it's had to come down from quite a height. Did you watch the final votes coming in? It was scary!

I think we all realise that this is a major privilege. Yes, the goodies are indeed great but to have a team of pros of this calibre looking after you is just immense.

Speaking of the team, I'm extremely excited to say that I know who my coach will be. None other than the amazing Steve Smythe! How fantastic is that?

No, not Welsh. I was doing Snowdonia mara. The reason I didn't pull out is because at the top I ran into someone I hadn't seen since 1984! Spent the next hour chatting until I just couldn't go at even that pace.

I absolutely love the front row, it's a great craic. Spent most of the last ten years hooking. Oh, and I'm 5'7" and 12 stone, which is probably why my neck and shoulders are truly buggered. Who would want to get cold hanging around with the fairies eh?

A few years back we had a coach trip to our furthest game, I woke on the Sunday morning with a full fry up shoved under my nose by the landlord of the last pub, got picked up by the wife and deposited at the start of White Horse HM. Not my best ever race!

Millsy - blimey, it was overseas? That was crazy. We weren't expecting another schoolboy error until tomorrow!

Chimney - lol excellent race prep! Ha ha, "fairies". If you play in the front row you can call us whatever names you like, you earned it IMHO!

I am indeed very lucky to have Steve but if it's anything like last year, Steve should be here on this thread from time to time so you'll have access to him too. Last year he was incredibly giving of his time answering any questions put to him. So was Sam and all the rest of the team.

Malcs you appear to have inadvertently (or deliberately) created a sidekick to your thread. People will be will be tuning in for a daily dose of Millsy1977 as well as your good self. This will be like a 4 month long running advent calendar.

A belated congratulations to Malcs....looking forward to seeing your progress and really hope you smash the time in Paris. I think you will, especially with the coach you have

A schoolboy (well girl really) error if I may.....never, under any circumstances, on the Wednesday before your marathon, when you just need to do that one last bit of speed work, fall off the back of a treadmill going at over 13kph. It hurts. Like hell.

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